S and I were stumped as to what to cook for dinner on a Saturday night. Normally on weekends I like to cook one new, time-consuming, or just really phenomenal meal since I have all day and weekend to savor it. S said he was in the mood to cook with burrata, a really soft cheese kind of like mozzarella, but creamier. I found this recipe online and it sounded perfect.

We didn't have all of the ingredients when we finally decided on what to make on Saturday evening. Instead of our usual getting into the car to go to Whole Foods for the cheese and other ingredients - we decided to ride our bikes there! It was a nice enough night for Florida. The sun was going down so it was no longer warm, and there was a small enough breeze to keep our moving bodies cool. It was surprisingly so rewarding to have to bike to get our food, and bike home to make it. With the cooler months ahead I definitely see us doing that more often.

Instead of using gnocchi, I used multi-colored pasta shells from Whole Foods, and I also substituted arugula which was in my refrigerator for the spinach that the recipe calls for. It was just as delicious and bright as expected. The warm pasta melted the cheese a bit and wilted the arugula while the lemon brightened up the dish to make it delicious enough for seconds. Thrown in there was also some garlic and almonds, which added subtle flavors but complimented the others perfectly.
Yesterday was Veteran's Day and we had a statue unveiling event at the museum. The statue was in honor of the Red Tail Pilots of the Tuskeegee Airmen. It was remarkable to have six of the twelve remaining Red Tails with us at the event yesterday. I have never seen so much appreciation and gratitude in one day. Many of our local veterans attended the event, and we even had the mayor come and speak. My co-worker was in charge of coordinating with a pilot for a surprise fly-over with a real red tail plane. During the speech, the plane flew over three times, and each time, everyone lifted their heads and cheered in honor, the red tail pilots tipping their hats toward the sky. It was such an uplifting day that will linger with me for a while.

A New Recipe

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

S and I were stumped as to what to cook for dinner on a Saturday night. Normally on weekends I like to cook one new, time-consuming, or just really phenomenal meal since I have all day and weekend to savor it. S said he was in the mood to cook with burrata, a really soft cheese kind of like mozzarella, but creamier. I found this recipe online and it sounded perfect.

We didn't have all of the ingredients when we finally decided on what to make on Saturday evening. Instead of our usual getting into the car to go to Whole Foods for the cheese and other ingredients - we decided to ride our bikes there! It was a nice enough night for Florida. The sun was going down so it was no longer warm, and there was a small enough breeze to keep our moving bodies cool. It was surprisingly so rewarding to have to bike to get our food, and bike home to make it. With the cooler months ahead I definitely see us doing that more often.

Instead of using gnocchi, I used multi-colored pasta shells from Whole Foods, and I also substituted arugula which was in my refrigerator for the spinach that the recipe calls for. It was just as delicious and bright as expected. The warm pasta melted the cheese a bit and wilted the arugula while the lemon brightened up the dish to make it delicious enough for seconds. Thrown in there was also some garlic and almonds, which added subtle flavors but complimented the others perfectly.
Yesterday was Veteran's Day and we had a statue unveiling event at the museum. The statue was in honor of the Red Tail Pilots of the Tuskeegee Airmen. It was remarkable to have six of the twelve remaining Red Tails with us at the event yesterday. I have never seen so much appreciation and gratitude in one day. Many of our local veterans attended the event, and we even had the mayor come and speak. My co-worker was in charge of coordinating with a pilot for a surprise fly-over with a real red tail plane. During the speech, the plane flew over three times, and each time, everyone lifted their heads and cheered in honor, the red tail pilots tipping their hats toward the sky. It was such an uplifting day that will linger with me for a while.

12 comments

Burrata technically IS mozzarella, it just hasn't cooked as long to firm up. The outer shell is typical mozzarella, and the inside...well, you know. Heavenly. Creamy and delicious doesn't even begin to describe it. It's all over menus here in the summer, and we eat as much as we can get our hands on. So good! My favorite kind of pasta dish, too. Light and creamy. Looks delish! xo

I had no idea! But that definitely makes sense now why I love it so much. I wish restaurants here were more adventurous and willing to use uncommon ingredients like that. I mean, for Florida it's an uncommon ingredient :) Slowly but surely, Orlando is getting a little more hip.

This looks so delicious! I'm such a sucker for pasta. Adding in garlic and almonds sounds divine--will definitely have to try this one. It sounds like you had a very memorable Veteran's Day. It's always so inspiring to see all the veterans, it's an overwhelming feeling!

About me

I'm Yelle. I'm an event manager at a museum living in Chicago, IL. When I'm not managing events, I'm attending them. I love trying new food and wine, exploring the world around me, and collecting treasures and memories along the way.